Lots of pictures of yesterday. If interested, you can either browse through here or click and go the flickr page. It was kind of a crappy weather day for picture taking, but I think I got some good shots.

I’m not going to get into the hows and whys of our trip to Coney Island. Suffice it to say that, having never been there, and Todd, being from California, really had no idea how to get there and we relied on a combination of crappy directions and our own versions of reality. This ended up with us riding the subway for way longer than we should have, and also resulted in us arriving at Coney Island just as the hot dog eating contest ended. We managed to catch a glimpse of both Chestnut and Kobayashi, but the crowd was too overwhelming to try to get any closer.

After all that time spent trying to get there, we tried to make the most of our limited time (we had to get back home to go to my sister’s bbq), so we walked around Coney Island for a bit (walking around for a bit usually means looking for a bathroom without a huge line, as I ruin just about every outing we have because I have to pee every half hour).

Todd wanted to go on the cyclone. I don’t do coasters. I might be persuaded to go on one every so often, but a wooden coaster? No way. Maybe I’ll post the wooden coaster story tonight. Someone remind me.

Thankfully, the line for the Cyclone was way too long and Todd gave up that idea. But then he saw the Top Spin. His eyes lit up. He looked at me the way a kid looks when they are about to say “pleasepleasepleasepleasecanwehaveapuppyipromisei’lltakecareofitpleaaaaaaaaase?”

Sure. We had time for that. But there was no way I was going to share the joy of Top Spin with him. I am a wimp. Have you ever seen this ride? Look at some of the pictures I took. Round and round and upside down and…..no thank you. But Todd got his ticket, and I got to take some pictures of him and he got a nice head rush. All I kept thinking as I snapped photos of him being shaken, stirred and tumbled was yea, this is a great idea for a guy who’s prone to seizures. I’ll tell you that story some day, too, if you want.

He survived the ride and we left Coney Island a little disappointed about the hot dog thing, but satisfied nonetheless. I got some pictures and a Nathan’s hot dog, Todd got to go wheeeeeeeeeee! and there were enough bathrooms there that I didn’t piss my pants. What more could you ask for?

Well, I could have asked for nicer weather. This was the first 4th of July in about five years that I didn’t sit outside at night cursing the fact that I suck at taking pictures of fireworks. The gods of thunder and lightning saved me that trouble.

And now it’s back to work. At least it’s Thursday, which is nice when you keep thinking it’s Monday.

We’re headed to Coney Island this morning to see the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

I don’t know why we’re going all the way over there to stand with about 30,000 people watching some guys shove weeners down their throats for about ten minutes. Seems like the thing to do.

It all just gives me an opportunity to leave you today with my proudest poetry moment ever.

Ode To The Hot Dog

I think that i shall never eata substance more devoid of meatthan the hot dog i ate last nightbut damn, i did eat every bite.and when i was done i ate anotherso did my sister and my motheri would have gone for three or fourif there had been any more.

hot dogs are the food of godsdespite the arteries they clogin the oven, on the grillfloating in a watery swillmustard (yellow), sauerkrautthat’s what summer’s all aboutpile them high upon the platesdon’t talk to me about nitrates